1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a beverage cooling and dispensing machine for cooling and dispensing beverage such as draft beer.
2. Description of the Related Art
A machine as shown in FIG. 3 is known as a type of conventional beverage cooling and dispensing machine. A cooling water tank 1 stores cooling water 2. One end of a cooling pipe 3 for beverage, arranged in the cooling water tank 1, is connected to a spigot 5, serving as a beverage pourer, through heat insulating material 4 which forms a wall of the water tank. The other end of the cooling pipe 3 is connected to a hose 6 outside the cooling water tank 1 also through the heat insulating material 4. A dispensing head 8 of a beverage tank 7 is connected to an upstream end of the hose 6.
An evaporator 10 connected to a refrigerator 9 is arranged in the cooling water tank 1. The cooling water 2 is cooled by operating the refrigerator 9. Part of the cooling water 2 is frozen and a substantially constant amount of ice is stored in a peripheral portion of the evaporator 10. An agitator 12 is provided within the cooling water tank 1. The cooling water 2 is stirred by the agitator 12, so that beverage flowing through the cooling pipe 3 can be efficiently cooled.
When the spigot 5 is opened, beverage 300 in the beverage tank 7 is caused to flow through a inductor tube (not shown) in the beverage tank, the dispensing head 8, the hose 6 and the cooling pipe 3 in this order, and poured out through the spigot 5 by a pressure of carbon dioxide gas supplied from a carbon dioxide gas cylinder. The beverage 300 is cooled, while it is flowing through the cooling pipe 3 by heat exchange with the cooling water 2 around the pipe. In FIG. 3, a reference numeral 16 denotes an upper cover of the cooling water tank 1.
In the machine of the type as described above, the dispensing head 8 is attached to the mouth of the beverage tank 7, before the beverage 300 is taken out of the beverage tank 7. During the attachment, the mouth of the beverage tank 7 and the interior of the dispensing head 8 are brought into contact with the air and bacteria are brought into contact with the beverage, the bacteria may enter the hose 6, the cooling pipe 3 or the spigot 5 and breed there. Particularly in a case of nutritious beverage, such as beer, the beverage may be considerably spoiled.
Especially in summer, since the atmospheric temperature is high, the temperature of the dispensing head 8, the hose 6 and the spigot 5, which are brought into contact with the air, is also high. Therefore, if bacteria are adhered to these portions, they will immediately breed. For this reason, the portions, which are brought into contact with the beverage, must be cleaned frequently. In addition, in a case of beer or the like, tartar is deposited on the inner surface of the cooling pipe and the like. It may be removed from the surface during the pour of the beverage, and mixed in the beverage as contaminant. It is therefore necessary that the interior of the cooling pipe 3 or the like be also cleaned frequently.
However, according to the conventional art, since the cooling pipe 3 and the spigot 5 are integrally incorporated into the cooling and dispensing machine and cannot be removed therefrom, these elements cannot be cleaned easily. For this reason, in restaurants or the like wherein the machine of this type is used, the cooling pipe 3 and the like are not cleaned frequently in the existing circumstances. In some case, beverage cooling and dispensing machines are collected from the restaurants to a cleaning plant, in which the cooling pipes 3 and the like are completely cleaned and disinfected, and thereafter the machines are returned to the restaurants. In this case, since the overall machine must be moved, considerable labor and cost are required for the moving work. Therefore, it has been necessary that the method of cleaning the cooling pipe 3 be improved.
To solve the above problems, in recent years, various trials have been made to improve the machines. Examples of the improved machines, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, will be described. In the following, the same elements as those of the aforementioned conventional art (shown in FIG. 3) are identified with the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted. In the machines shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the dispensing head 8, the hose 6, the cooling pipe 3 and the spigot 5 are integrated as one unit, a beverage pouring unit 210, which is attached to a main body 50 and a beverage tank 7 (FIG. 4). The beverage pouring unit 210 is therefore detachable from the main body 50 (FIG. 5).
With the machine of the improved type, the beverage pouring unit 210 can be removed from the main body 50 of the machine, if necessary, cleaned in the restaurant or the like, or transferred to the cleaning plant and completely cleaned and disinfected therein. Thus, the cleaning operation is greatly simplified.
However, in the above machine of the improved type, an agitator 12 for stirring the cooling water is attached to a supporting plate 20, which is fixed to the upper edge of the water tank, so that agitator 12 is arranged within a coil formed of the cooling pipe 3 (FIG. 5). With this arrangement, when the beverage pouring unit 210 is attached to or detached from the main body 50 of the machine, not only the upper cover 16 but also the supporting plate 20, to which the agitator 12 is attached, must be attached to or detached from the main body simultaneously. A further improvement in the operability has therefore been required.